SUMMER 2016
PLACEMAKING SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
IN THIS ISSUE:
The Preliminary Project Assessment (PPA) Getting Involved in the Planning Process Landmark of the Quarter: Twin Peaks Tavern
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Planning in the News
Citywide John Rahaim and Planning Director y bushes along err ckb bla trim Director Gil Kelley n Dell walkway. the Rhododendro
San Francisco Planning’s First Beautification Volunteer Day
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his spring, San Francisco Planning staff partnered with SF Recreation & Parks on beautifying one of the City’s most treasured parks, Golden Gate Park. More than 33 staff volunteered, dedicating 165 hours of volunteer service to the beautifying of the Rhododendron Dell. Staff supported the removal of dead plants & trees, hand weeding and blackberry bush removal, which equates to an in-kind donation of $4,346 worth of maintenance.
New Living Innovation Zone Headed to Fulton Street
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wo Civic Center institutions, the San Francisco Public Library and the Asian Art Museum, are working to create a greater sense of activation between their spaces on Fulton Street. Within the past few months, they joined forces with the City’s Living Innovation Zones (LIZ) program, managed by San Francisco Planning, the Mayor’s Office of Civic Innovation, and the San Francisco Arts Commission, to create the first LIZ structure off of Market Street. In early December, the City agencies worked with the Youth Art Exchange to display
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Planning staff ready to beautify the Rhododendron Dell.
SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
al ent expanding the potenti Youth Art Exchange stud t event at UN Plaza. men age eng nity mu com
Bringing community together throu
gh play.
new LIZ structure through
a
(the Home) as the City’s 269th landmark designation.
The front façade of the University Mound Old Ladies’ Home.
and gather initial public input on the new future interactive art installation, Art/Lit LIZ Prototype. With the goal to create a welcoming, playful space for the Civic Center community to gather and serve as a link between the Public Library and the Asian Art Museum, the students at the Youth Art Exchange developed mock-ups of the future LIZ that were focused on being inclusive, with engaging textures designed to appeal all populations. The project design has yet to be finalized, but the current plan is for an 18-foot dragon structure, spanning
three rows of trees University Mound near the Asian Art Old Ladies’ Home Museum. It will have Received Landmark three interactive Designation Status components: a gallery In November space, a slide for kids 2015, Mayor and a turf area. The Lee signed the gallery space will be resolution granting used to showcase and recognizing the rotating work from a PhotoUniversity Mound te Si variety of cultures, Old Ladies’ Home in collaboration with local art organizations.
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Mid-restoration of the New
Mission Theater facade.
along Bartlett Street 2550 Mission Street, View New Mission Theater, August 2014) (Source: Google Maps, iateness Hearing Certificate of Appropr Case Number 2014.1590A 2550 Mission Street New Mission Theater,
Constructed in 19311932 350 University Street, the Home is a nursing home that served the meet the changing needs of the aging population in San Francisco. The building is significant for its architecturally distinctive characteristics resembling the Colonial Revival period and is the only extant Colonial Revival style convalescent/ nursing homes in San Francisco that retains a high degree of physical integrity having undergone few alterations since its construction.
New Mission Theater
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fter more than a decade of efforts to restore a beloved neighborhood landmark in the Mission neighborhood, the New Mission Theater opened December 17, 2015. Headlining the marquee? Star Wars: The Force Awakens, of course! Awarded Historic Landmark status in 1999, The New Mission Theater was
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Planning in the News
Playland at 43rd Avenue – A New City Park for Outer Sunset Residents
O Supervisor Cohen joins the Dogpatch community in the first Dogpatch Public Realm Plan public workshop.
constructed in 1910. The three-story, single-screen theater originally opened as the Idle Hour, a nickelodeon. It was enlarged and renovated in 1916 as a neoclassical auditorium and again in 1932 with elements of the Art Deco style. Vacant since 2003, this historic landmark (No. 245) has undergone a complete renovation with exterior and interior restorations, including the 70ft tall pylon sign and marquee fronting onto Mission Street. Today, the Alamo Drafthouse New Mission Theater stands with five screens, 550 seats and cocktail and dinner hours.
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Dogpatch Neighborhood Shared Their Priorities for Improvements
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an Francisco Planning held held two public workshops in March and May 2016 for the Central Waterfront/Dogpatch Public Realm Plan. Over 50 community members attended these workshops and shared their vision on what they would like to see as a priority for the Dogpatch neighborhood. Many ideas included improvements to certain corridors and sidewalks, as well as creating more open spaces.
SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
n May 7, 2016, Outer Sunset neighbors joined the City in the grand opening of Playland at 43rd Avenue. Formerly an underutilized 1.25 acre site at the Francis Scott Key Annex, Playland at 43rd Avenue is a temporary public space that offers a community garden,
picnic and seating areas, a playground and exercise area for all ages, skate ramps, a revamped basketball court, a bicycle course, and an artist’s courtyard for studios and community art classes. The completion of Playland at 43rd Avenue was a collaborative effort with San Francisco Planning, SFUSD, Friends of Playland at 43rd Avenue, San Francisco Parks
ce and Park Allian s team, SF d at 43rd Ave. rk Pa to t ylan men s the Pave and opening of Pla r Tang join gr Superviso t neighbors for the se Outer Sun
ng and daughter having
Citywide Planner Kay Che 43rd Ave.
Alliance, Supervisor Katy Tang’s Office and Outer Sunset community volunteers. Playland at 43rd Avenue was designed in collaboration with Perkins + Will and the Pavement to Parks team. The project will be managed by Friends of Playland at 43rd Avenue, a San Francisco Parks Alliance partner. For information on the project or the Pavement to Parks program please visit http:// pavementtoparks.org.
Planning Director John Rahaim presenting The
fun at Playland at
The Hub Workshop
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he intersection of Market, Valencia, Haight and Gough Streets was once known as “The Hub” because of the area’s distinctive block pattern and intersection for the four streetcar lines as they traveled across the City. The name eventually came to represent the surrounding neighborhood as well. With major transportation projects and building planned
or underway along Market, Van Ness and south of Market from Valencia to 11th Street, San Francisco Planning is considering making amendments to the 2008 Market and Octavia Plan that will better ensure that the area’s growth supports the City’s goals for housing, transportation, the public realm and the arts. At the first workshop in April 2016, Planning provided a presentation introducing the project and an overview of three topic areas for discussion: land use, urban form and public benefits. A second workshop was held on June 22, 2016 which focused on open space, public realm and streetscape improvements that build on the initial concepts from the Market and Octavia Plan.
The City’s First Street Tree Census!
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o you know how many street trees there are in San Francisco? Trees play a vital role in San Francisco. Trees not only beautify and green our City, they also store carbon, filter pollution from air and water, provide wildlife habitats and help enhance the quality of our daily lives. They are a valued community resource, an important component of the urban infrastructure, and a part of our identity. However, the City lacks comprehensive data on the trees on San Francisco’s streets. Without knowing more about their conditions and how many exist, the City cannot develop a long-term plan for maintaining and growing its urban forest. This is why the City is launching its first-ever citywide street tree census, EveryTreeSF.
Hub’s first workshop.
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Planning in the News
for sea level rise planning; • Summarizes current climate science, relevant policies and regulations, and vulnerability and risk assessments conducted to date; Kicking off in January 2016, our team of tree specialists continues on the path of identifying the exact location, species and current condition of every street tree in the City. In addition to identifying existing trees, we will be surveying vacant sites to help determine locations for new trees to be planted. Once EveryTreeSF is completed, the data generated will help San Francisco make more informed species selections and identify priority maintenance needs and future planting sites. Join us for a virtual tree tour of the City by following @EveryTreeSF on Instagram (account required). We’ll be posting some of our best treefies in your neighborhood with fun
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facts about the City’s trees. Post photos of your favorite street trees and tag us!
Sea Level Action Plan
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n March 10, 2016, San Francisco Planning and Public Works presented the Sea Level Rise Action Plan, a call to action for City departments and stakeholders to work together to make San Francisco a more resilient city in the face of rising sea levels. The Plan provides direction for City departments to understand and adapt to the impacts of sea level rise, and identifies what long-term sea level rise means for San Francisco’s residents, visitors, economy and waterfront.
SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
The Action Plan is the first step towards the development of the Citywide Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan, expected to be completed by summer 2018, which will incorporate the adaptation strategies identified in the Action Plan and set a planning framework to prioritize investments to best improve climate resilience, while protecting economic and environmental value. The Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan will also identify potential funding sources, governance structures, and implementation timelines. The Sea Level Rise Action Plan completes four strategic tasks: • Establishes an overarching vision, goals, and a set of guiding principles
• Identifies data gaps and establishes a framework for further assessment, adaptation planning, and implementation; and • Provides the foundation and guidance to develop a citywide Sea Level Rise Adaptation Plan
New Living Innovation Zone Debuted at UN Plaza
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n June 14, 2016, Mayor Edwin Lee unveiled Sound Commons in United Nations Plaza, a new Living Innovation Zone (LIZ) partnership with the Exploratorium and San Francisco Planning. Sound Commons is a soundbased installation composed of
Mayor Edwin Lee & City officials await the cutting of the ribbon for Sound Commons.
interactive musical elements designed to encourage social interaction and play, also serves as a symbol to unite the Civic Center District. This LIZ project is part of an initiative designed to activate and restore Civic Center as a destination for everyone. Sound Commons is composed of several interactive musical elements, or “acoustic phenomena,” such as chimes, xylophones, and “Echo Tubes” woven together with wooden boardwalks
in the trees above, illuminating UN Plaza at night. Sound Commons is the fourth creation from the Living Innovation Zone program and the second sponsored by the Exploratorium. Community members testing out one of the new Sound Commons
that wind throughout the trees that line both sides of the Plaza walkway. The musical elements are intended to create unexpected and unique sound effects as people interact with them. In contrast, Sound Commons also offers a bed of gravel with enclosed
installation.
sound-sensors, challenging users to walk as quietly as possible and prove their tip-toeing skill. Scattered throughout the site will be small, written notes that provoke new ways of thinking about sound. Sound Commons also includes a ‘canopy of Tivoli lights’ placed
We would love to see your photos of using the new LIZ installation. Post
Wondering about the recent changes to the Planning Code? All of the Department’s Planning Code Changes can be found here.
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Planning in the News
Planners team up for the
SF Foster Youth Fund Sof
your photos on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram using the hashtag #SoundCommons.
field by raising nearly $2,000 for the Foster Youth Fund through donations and raffle tickets.
SF Planners Play Ball for the SF Foster Youth Fund
Congratulations to the team for their efforts and representing the Department for a great cause!
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n Saturday, June 18, 2016, San Francisco planners participated in the Mae Louise Mays 27th Annual SF Foster Youth Fund Softball Tournament. This year, San Francisco Planning had two softball teams in the tournament and broke records off the
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tball tournament.
South Bay WhistleStop Tour
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s part of the Department’s regional planning work, staff from the Citywide Division joined Director John Rahaim on a “whistle-stop” tour of the South
SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
Citywide planners
Bay to learn more about the area and the complex planning issues created by Silicon Valley’s booming economy. The group traveled via Caltrain from San Francisco to Downtown Mountain View, where they met with planners from the City of Mountain View. From there, they embarked on a light rail tour of the valley, ending in Downtown San Jose where they attended a joint meeting with planners from the
k Perry.
y tour led by Nic
on the South Ba
City of San Jose and staff from SPUR’s San Jose office. The interregional conversation sparked by the trip will continue this fall when planners from San Jose will travel north for a planning-tour of San Francisco.
Ask Planning I’d like to start a new business. But it seems so complicated, and I don’t know where to start. Any advice? –Monty, Potrero Hill You’re not alone! Small businesses are essential to our community, but the process of establishing a new business in the City can often feel overwhelming. The Community Business Priority Processing Program (“CB3P”) streamlines the Conditional Use process, providing a simplified and efficient system for certain small and mid-sized business applications. Projects that qualify for, and enroll in, the CB3P are guaranteed (1) a hearing date within 90 days of filing and (2) placement on the Planning Commission’s consent calendar. This simple, direct, and fast service passes time-savings on to small businesses so they can open their doors faster and frees the Planning Commission and Department staff to focus on priority policy and project issues. Learn more here.
Where can I find out more information about a property in San Francisco? –Jack, Inner Richmond
How can I find an application for a proposed project? –Jim, Castro
San Francisco Planning’s innovative, user-friendly San Francisco Property Information Map, or PIM, provides a variety of useful property data, zoning and project information. This search tool enables you to quickly and easily find what you’re looking for – and more!
You can view all applications submitted to Planning from our BuildingEye map at https://sanfrancisco. buildingeye.com. The map can be filtered to search by neighborhood, address or zip code, application type and date range. All applications will be shown as a colored icon: blue is a new application currently being processed, and green represents a completed application. After you find the address you’re looking for, click on the icon and all the information about that application, its address, reference number, project description, associated planner and their contact details, the status of the project and a link for more details will be provided. If you click on more details, the link will take you to our Accela Citizen Access webpage.
Among the useful records and resources available for each property: • Property Information (including Assessor’s Reports, various Maps) • Property Zoning Information (including Zoning Districts, other Applicable Regulations) • Property Historic Preservation Data & District • Project History of the Property • Building Permit & Other Permit History of the Property • Complaint Record of the Property • Short-Term Rental Registrations
On the Accela Citizen Access page, click on the “Record Info” tab and select attachments. All the documents for the project will be downloaded on your web browser.
Check out the Department’s 2014-2015 Annual Report! The annual report highlights the Department’s projects and programs from July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2015.
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Featured Process
The Preliminary Project Assessment (PPA) 10
SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
SUMMER 2016
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Featured Process
M
any San Franciscans have often heard the following: “A developer submitted a PPA for a new development in our neighborhood.” This can sound daunting, especially if you’ve never heard the term “PPA” before. But don’t fret; a PPA is nothing to be afraid of, there’s still plenty of time to voice your concerns. Essentially, a Preliminary Project Assessment (PPA), is a process where the Department provides roadmaps to developers and any interested parties on what levels of review and public outreach are required for a project to proceed. Initiated in 2008,
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the PPA helps bring to light the policy and neighborhood concerns early in the development review process. Projects that require a PPA application submission are for the following scope of work: adding more than six dwelling units, changing how at least 25,000 square feet of the property is used, constructing a new non-residential building or adding 10,001 square feet to an existing building. Given the preliminary nature of a PPA application, sometimes the proposed plans are very specific and sometimes the plans are just conceptual. Once the Department receives a PPA application, a team
SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
of planners will work with the Department’s in-house architects and streetscape experts to review the application and formally respond within 90 days. This
Completed PPA letters are made available for the public. If you’re interested to see all PPA letters that have been issued, visit http://www.sf-planning.org/ index.aspx?page=2786.
response is a “PPA Letter” and serves to identify any gaps in relevant information, the required level of public outreach, related policy concerns, general comments on the design or environmental impacts, and any procedural requirements that are
necessary for the approval process for the project. The more detailed the plans are, the more specific the Department’s response. And just like the name indicates, a PPA Letter is NOT a formal development application.
Looking for Permit Applications? In partnership with Department of Building Inspection and buildingeye, more than a million records are now available in an enhanced interactive online map. This application is available online at http:// sanfrancisco.buildingeye.com.
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Featured Process
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SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
Getting Involved in the Planning Process
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Featured Process
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an Francisco Planning plays an essential role in preserving and enhancing the City while guiding its growth and development. We work with other City agencies and the community on issues such as affordable housing policy, transportation, environmental review, long-range planning, open space, legislative review, historic preservation, land use, resiliency planning, and urban design. We work on everything from implementing a code change to providing an overall vision for the entire City. We are also working to achieve a more effective and wide reaching level of engagement with the people who live and work here. It is important to us that we develop collaborative and positive working relationships that will lead to the public’s increased understanding of our work and how we can better address the concerns and interests of the community.
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District 5 community members meet with
San Francisco planners at a Mobile PIC
So no matter what the topic or project, we encourage you to become a part of the Planning process! From simply receiving e-mail updates to taking part in the developing of a final plan or anything in between, we welcome you to get involved. One easy way is by attending community meetings in your neighborhood.* Meetings are often centered on a particular plan or project and take the form of open houses, focus groups, workshops or other creative formats that allow you and your neighbors to make comments, provide feedback, and ask questions. After a community event, staff will summarize the input received from the attendees and publish the results on the project webpage. They also post copies of presentations and materials that were distributed at prior meetings that are available for download. Planners often make modifications to their plans
SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
event.
based on input from public events. So you never know how your feedback may help determine the overall vision of a streetscape design, or what policies should be in place for a neighborhood area plan. To learn more about what’s happening in your neighborhood and be alerted of community meetings, sign up for project notifications on our website. You can request notifications based on a specific neighborhood, topic or project type. You can also find out about active permitting projects happening in your neighborhood through the BuildingEye interactive map. To see the Planning process in action, attend a Commission Hearing or view one online. This is also an opportunity to state your support or opposition to a particular issue or project directly to the Commissioners. While there is no requirement to do so, public
comment is an important part of the hearing and overall process. It informs the Commission of neighborhood sentiment and issues that may not have been identified. If you are interested in making public comment but are unable to attend a hearing in person, you may submit your comments in writing, by telephone, or by e-mail. Planning Commission Hearings generally take place in Commission Chambers Room 400, in City Hall, at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA. Although the start times and locations may vary, hearings are generally held on Thursdays at 12:00 pm. Historic Preservation Commission hearings also take place in Commission Chambers Room 400, in City Hall, at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place. They are held on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month from 12:30 PM to 4:30 PM. The Architectural Review Committee provides early
Community members discussing
direction and advice to applicants and advice on design, building materials and construction techniques to the full Historic Preservation Commission. The Committee meets on an as needed basis at 11:30 AM before a regularly scheduled HPC hearing. The Zoning Administrator holds Variance Hearings in Room 408, in City Hall, at 1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place, San Francisco, CA. Variance Hearings are typically held on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 9:30 AM. Notifications of Variance Hearings are provided by mail to owners within 300 feet of the subject property (10 days before the hearing) and by posting on the subject property (20 days before the hearing). Additional contact info needed - commissions.secretary@ sfgov.org
Teaching SF youth the importance of getting involved in the planning process.
borhood.
their ideas and vision for their neigh
However you choose to get involved, we value your
contribution to the planning process! * To request assistive listening devices, real time captioning, sign language interpreters, readers, large print agendas or other accommodations, please contact the Commission Secretary at (415) 558-6309, or commissions.secretary@ sfgov.org at least 72 hours prior to the event.
Looking for the Department’s Reports and Publications? The Department releases multiple reports & publications that have to do with the City’s economic growth, housing inventory and more. Find more information on all of our reports here.
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Historic Landmark Highlight: Twin Peaks Tavern
Credit: Ted Eytan, “San Francisco Eureka Valley 9” June 2, 2011 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
Landmark No. 264 Twin Peaks Tavern
This issue features Twin Peaks Tavern, located at 401 Castro Street, approved for landmark status in January 2013.
Theater, updated the façade of the building. The bay windows were removed and the entire building was stuccoed and restyled into the Mediterranean revival style that exists today.
Twin Peaks Tavern: 401 Castro Street
First opening two years after the repeal of Prohibition in 1935, Twin Peaks Tavern was operated by Osborne Bye and William Mullane. After a number of transfers in ownership, MaryEllen Cunha and Margaret Ann (Peggy) Forster purchased the bar in 1972 and refurbished it as a fern bar for a gay clientele. At the time of the sake, the bar’s windows were “blocked out by black paper on the interior, and painted on the exterior.” With the windows covered, “wives couldn’t see their husbands drinking in here.”
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ocated in the heart of the Castro, the Twin Peaks Tavern is a living symbol of the LGBT community and their liberties and rights gained in the second half of the 20th century. Constructed in 1883, 401 Castro Street was originally a single-story building that housed a telephone exchange at one end and a small dwelling fronting onto Castro Street on the other. In the 1890s, a second story was added and the building styled as a wood-clad square-bay Victorian. By 1899, the storefront was occupied by a saloon and cigar shop. By 1915, a second building with two projecting bow windows on the second floor was constructed on the southern portion of the lot. In 1923, owner Samuel Levin, perhaps in reaction to the adjacent construction of the Castro
MaryEllen remembered the character of the bar at the time of the transfer: “The Twin Peaks Tavern was a dive Irish bar when we bought it. It served mostly neighborhood men and wives, but lots of seamen would drink there while in San Francisco. Usually, when you buy a bar, you keep the same name. For years, a lot of the old regulars still came in and had their drinks. I
Credit: torbakhopper, “jane warner turnabout : castro at night, san francisco (2014)” June 25, 2014 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
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Historic Landmark Highlight: Twin Peaks Tavern
of LGBT culture and rights, have attracted tourists from around the world. And in 2008, the owners were asked to allow the bar to be used as a stage set. The Twin Peaks Tavern was used as an interior set for the filming of the movie “Milk.”
never had fears about being a bar that catered to lesbian and gay clientele; that never bothered us. It was just going to be a neighborhood bar.” The bar opened at noon, but staff was often on-hand much earlier. Maryellen shared: “Opening in the morning, Harvey Milk would stop by. He’d catch the bus; he’d stop in and have coffee and dish. He’d take the bus, get off and come in, then hop back on the bus and go downtown to work.” The Twin Peaks Tavern quickly became more than a local bar, participating in the Tavern Guild’s Memorial Day Tricycle Races in the 1970s that raised thousands of dollars for various charities, including Guide Dogs for the Blind. During the AIDS epidemic, the donations were made to various AIDS charities including San Francisco General Hospital Ward 5-B (the world’s first hospital ward dedicated to AIDS), Project Open Hand, and The AIDS Emergency Fund.
In speaking to the role the Tavern has played in the community, Jeff Green states, “The legacy of the Twin Peaks Tavern is the windows. That’s pretty much what we’re known for. Because of them, being open in a period of time when you could be fired for being seen in a gay bar…. That’s pretty significant. The windows caused the gay movement to move forward—no hiding from society.” Reflecting on the positive impact the Twin Peaks Tavern has had in the creation of an “out” community of LGBT in the Castro, MaryEllen Cunha stated: “When we first opened the bar, a lot of our friends who were doctors and lawyers would sit upstairs on the balcony. Eventually, they moved downstairs because they didn’t care anymore. They got over the fear pretty quickly. The Elephant Walk followed suit and opened their windows. Yes, they did!”
After 31 years running the Twin Peaks Tavern, MaryEllen and Peggy sold the business to longterm employees, bartenders and good friends Jeff Green and George Roehm in 2003. The renewed interest in the life of Harvey Milk, and the attention given to The Castro as a center
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SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
aks, castro, indows, twin pe casket : ishootw tive Commons Attribution ar cle e “th r, pe ea op Credit: torbakh 13 via Flickr, Cr 13)” June 23, 20 san francisco (20
Learn more about SF Planning’s Historic Preservation program here. San Francisco’s Historic Preservation Program has been helping preserve the City’s history since 1967. Architectural treasures, monuments to historic events and specific locations associated with cultural and social movements that contribute to San Francisco’s unique history and identity are irreplaceable assets that must be protected. In 2011, the Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) adopted its Landmark Designation Work Program to protect and enhance San Francisco’s cultural resources.
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Planner-ease Decoded:
CONDITIONAL USE
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Conditional Use is a use that is not principally permitted, or typically allowed, in a particular zoning district. For example, chain stores, also known as formula retail, are a “use” that is not principally permitted in certain areas throughout the City. If a store that qualifies as formula retail would like to open on a street that does not ordinarily allow that particular use, the store would need to apply for and obtain a Conditional Use Authorization, or CUA.
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SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
GENERAL PLAN
NING INFORMA TION
Neighborho Notificatio od n
Print Form
Date:
APPLICATION PACKE
July 2015
T FOR
Conditional Use Authorization Planning Department 1650 Mission Street Suite 400
San Francis co, CA 94103-9425
What is Nei
ghborhood
T: 415.558 .6378 F: 415.558 .6409
T: 415.558.6378 F: 415.558.6409
WHAT IS A CONDITION
AL USE?
PACKET AND
AFFIDAVIT FOR
on Meeting Pre-Applicati
INSTRUCTION
ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ Ĵ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǰȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ǰȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ¢ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱȃ ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ Ȅȱ ting the Pre ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ es for conduc you in the ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ions and templat are available to advise ȱ ȱ £ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ (415) 558staff ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǯȱ consists of instruct tion Center at g Department This packet ȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ǰȱ ȱ ȱ ǯ Application Meeting. Planninls. Call the Planning Informa of these materia preparation WHEN IS A CONDITION information. AL USE AUTHORIZATION 6377 for further NECESSARY? ȱ ȱ ȱ ǰȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ Ĵ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ Departme nt ȱ ¢ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱǻ Ǽǰȱ ¢ȱ Planning ȱ Ǽǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ Ĵ ȱǻ Ǽǰȱ Street ȱ ȱ Ĵ ȱ ȱ ǰȱ ȱ ȱǻ ȱ G? 1650 Mission ȱ £ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ed by the ȱ ȱ £ ȱ ȱ PLICATION MEETIN ȱ ȱ ȱ ity outreach conduct Suite 400 ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ submittal WHAT IS A PRE-AP form of commun ȱ , CA ȱǻ Ȃ Ǽǰȱ ȱ ¡ ȱ types prior to ǰȱ is a mandatory San Francisco ǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ěȬ ȱ g certain project neighbors ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱThe Pre-Application Meeting ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ on. Adjacent feedback regardin 94103-9425 ȱ ȱ ȱ to receive initial Department of Building Inspecti meeting which must take ȱǻ Ǽȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǯ project sponsor the attend this site. The Department or are invited to from the project to the Planning T: 415.558.6378 organizations s certain distance neighborhood issues and concern and within a and relevant F: 415.558.6409 hours of the day r communication and identify r concerns about the HOW DOES THE PROCESS certain neighbo WORK? place during is to initiate neighbo nity to address the number of ȱ ȱ ȱ meeting's intention project sponsor the opportu an application; and, reduce ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ the ng Ğ ȱę ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ěȱ ȱ¢ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ early on; provide prior to submitti ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǯȱ of the project ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ę ȱ ȱ filed. potential impacts ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ (DRs) that are ȱ ǰȱ Reviews ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ nary ȱ ȱ ȱ¢ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ¢ ȱ ǯȱȱ Discretio ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ę ȱ ȱ ǰȱ ¢ǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ G REQUIRED? ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǰȱ ȱ ȱ ǰȱ PLICATION MEETIN ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ WHEN IS A PRE-AP ȱ ǯȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ę ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱřŖŖȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ǯȱ ȱ ȱ ¢ȱ ȱ ction; or ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ New Constru ȱ ȱ ę ȱ ǯȱ ȱ or ȱ ȱ Ě ȱ ȱ ȱ ěȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ cation feet or more; ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ addition of 7 Note: A Pre-Appli ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ Any vertical ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ ȱ or Meeting is required l ȱ or 10 feet or more; ȱ ȱ ȱ if the horizonta s roof decks); ȱ ǯ al addition of even horizont d yard (exclude Any addition reference the required rear increase grade or within above does not 10 feet above ation; or of the Decks over the overall depth a nal Use Authoriz to a Conditio building. Similarly, Retail uses subject cation Meeting All Formula
www.sfpl anning.o rg
Pre-Appli if is required even the vertical additiondoes referenced above overall not change the building height.
When is Nei
ghborhood
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; or (CB3P); or Processing Program Business Priority ed for any project. Community meeting be conduct a Pre-Application Staff may request Department
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Derek Gerstmann, “Peet’s on Chestnut” January 17, 2005 via Flickr, Creative Commons Attribution
Once the Pre-Application process has been completed, the applicant schedules an intake appointment with Planning staff who will ensure all the paperwork is complete. Shortly after the intake, the CUA application is assigned to a Planner who reviews it, and issues a Neighborhood Notification detailing the proposal to residents and neighborhood groups within 300 feet of the property, instructs the applicant to place a notice at the site, and places an ad in the San Francisco Chronicle (only applicable for certain entitlements). These
Required?
PDR-I-B Section 313,
G REQUI Code Section PLICATION MEETIN subject to Planning as the first for certain projects It serves process is required other activities listed above. Use by ent (Conditional The Pre-Application ion or entitlem lication tion, or as required 311 or 312 Notifica prior to building permit applicat result of the Pre-App the project contacted as a ion when step in the process submittal. Those 311 or 312 notificat Variance, etc.) ent notice or Authorization, formal entitlem a staff. ent receive Departm process will also reviewed by Planning s; ability is submitted and of neighbor concernpredictable ation identific ned, include: early l; a more streamli project sponsors project submitta associated with The benefits to r concerns before and, elimination of delays ent; to mitigate neighbo Planning Departm s about a project review from the to express concern Reviews. the opportunity nary Review. Discretionary the neighbors include: ing the need to file a Discretio The benefits to d and eliminat before it is submitte
rior to submitting an application, the owner of the formula retail business must initiate community communication by holding a Pre-Application Meeting with nearby residents and neighborhood organizations to answer questions and address neighborhood concerns.
Notification
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Pre-Applica tion A Pre-Applicati Meeting on Meetin meet specifi g is requir ed for horizo c thresholds, document ntal and vertica for additional and specific changes l expansions of use. Please process must information. that refer occur prior Please keep to conducting in mind that to page three of this the Pre-Ap Neighborhoo Residential plication d Notification. Districts Neighborhoo d Districts) when Notification is requir ed in reside there is an ntial Removal of expansion districts (RH, more than of the buildi RM, and RTO, 75% of trigger Neigh ng envelope borhood Notific interior wall framin or a chang e g or 75% of in ation. existing framin use. Neighborho g will also od Comm ercial, RTO, Use Distric ts: RED, and Western SOMA Neighborhoo d Notification Planning new constr Area Speci is required uction al addition, Neigh , or alterations which for all building permi t applic expand the borhood Notific a change of exterior dimen ations for demolition, ation is use to a bar, sions of a buildi small institu a liquor store, required for all buildi ng. In tions, a restau ng permit a walk-u applic p facility, other activity, an adult or other rant, a limited restau large institu ations for rant, a entertainmen tions, other t use, a fringe massage establishmen t, an outdo financial service or use, tobacc o
WHY IS A PRE-AP
www. sfplan
Notification
As required by Planning conducted Code Section by the Planni ng Department311 and 312, Neighborhoo zoning distric ts. for many discre d Notification Building Inspec When an applicant is tionar submits a tion (DBI), Building Permity permits within certain will condu the Planni ct the Neigh ng to the Depar borhood Notific Department is the neighbors tment of first review within 150 ation. Neigh ing agency feet of the 30-day public borhood subject proper and review period ty and releva Notification is mailed . to nt neighborhood Building Permit groups for a Districts (Resid s for work located within the RH Distric Oriented Districential Mixed), Reside ts (Residential ntial Enclav House), RM e (Neighborhoo ts (RTO), Western SOMA Planni Districts (RED), Reside d Commercial) ng ntial are subject to Neighborhoo Districts, and Easter Area Special Use Distric Transit building expan n Neighborhoo ts, NC d Notification d Mixed Use dependent require Neigh sions, certain chang upon the scope Distric es of use, and borhood Notific of work. Typica ts formula retail ation. lly, uses (a.k.a. chain stores)
Pursuant to Planning Code Section 303, the Planning Commission make determinations regarding applications shall hear and for the authorization Use. The first pages consist of instructions of Conditional which should be read the application form is completed. carefully before Planning Department staff are available to advise you in the preparation application. Call (415) 558-6377 for further of this information.
San Francisco, CA 94103-9425
Subject:
Pursuant to Planning Planning Department Code Sections 311 and Notification shall condu ct a Neigh 312, the of use depenfor building expan borhood sions dent upon property. the zoning and certain chang es district of the subjec t
Planning Department 1650 Mission Street Suite 400
Notifications are also known as “Section 311 or 312” in reference to the specific Planning Code requirement. This begins a 30-day period for neighbors to voice concerns over a proposal to Planning staff. All comments will be included in the final staff report presented at the Commission hearing. The Planning Commission hearing is held to determine if the proposed use is necessary or desirable to the neighborhood, and whether it may potentially have a negative impact on the surrounding area and existing businesses. At the hearing, the property owner will present materials to explain the intent of the use and why it should be approved. Any public testimony in favor or opposed to the proposal will also be heard. The Commission will then discuss the proposal before taking a vote.
The Commission may ultimately allow the use, but also will “condition” the use by placing operational restrictions to help ease neighborhood concerns, such as hours of operation, required actions to reduce any noise and odors, or a required community liaison to address unforeseen issues. If a Conditional Use Authorization is approved, Planning staff will then have the authorization to approve a permit to the business owner allowing them to move forward for Building Department review. If is the Planning Commissioners reject the CUA, the business owner can appeal to the Board of Supervisors within 30 days of Commission action.
Interested in Seeing a Neighborhood Business Nominated in the Legacy Business Registry? Find more information here to determine if your favorite community-serving business meets the criteria to be nominated into the Legacy Business Registry Program.
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KID’S Page
EveryTreeSF Coloring Activity The City of San Francisco has begun its first ever citywide street tree census, EveryTreeSF. That means we’re mapping and recording every street tree in the City! Send us a copy of your best coloring skills and write down how many street trees you think are in San Francisco. Email us your artwork at planningnews@sfgov.org or mail it in to: Planning News San Francisco Planning 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400 San Francisco, CA 94103
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SAN FRANCISCO PLANNING’S COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
Every tree counts! Nice to meet you!
Hello!
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San Francisco Planning Great Planning for a Great City sfplanning.org 1650 Mission Street, Suite 400 San Francisco, CA 94103 Tel: 415.558.6378 Fax: 415.558.6409
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